1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a basket sink strainer centering tool for use in disposing and maintaining a basket sink strainer in concentric and superposed parallel relationships with respect to the sink drain hole of a kitchen sink for subsequent securement of such basket sink strainer with such sink drain hole by tightening engagement of a large female-threaded ring with the male-threaded body portion of such basket sink strainer.
2. Background
A basket sink strainer has at its top an outturned flange whose lower surface is mounted against the upper surface of a flanged shoulder surrounding the sink drain hole of a kitchen sink. In assembly, the lower surface of the basket sink strainer's outturned flange and upper surface of the sink drain hole's flanged shoulder sandwich therebetween a putty bead that was applied to the flanged shoulder's upper surface prior to effecting such assembly. To complete the assembly, a large female-threaded ring, having a flanged upper surface, is appropriately engaged with the basket sink strainer's male-threaded body portion and appropriately tightened to effect tight engagement of the large female-threaded ring's flanged upper surface with the lower surface of the sink drain hole's flanged shoulder. If the sink strainer is properly assembled in concentric and superposed parallel relationships with the sink drain hole, the putty bead will be compressed uniformly to effect a proper water seal and water leakage will not occur beneath the peripheral lateral edge of the basket sink strainer's outturned flange and through the sink drain hole. The problem in the prior art is properly disposing and maintaining the basket sink stainer's outturned flange in concentric and superposed parallel relationships with the sink drain hole's flanged shoulder while tightening the large female-threaded ring upon the basket sink strainer's male-threaded body portion to effect proper water seal from the putty bead being compressed. However, metal-to-metal contact between the sink strainer's outturned flange and the drain hole's flanged shoulder while tightening the large female-threaded ring causes relative slippage therebetween resulting in excentric disposition of the basket sink strainer relative to the sink drain hole with the putty seal being broken with resulting leakage. Part of the putty seal may be wiped away upon tightening the large ring if superposed parallel relationship is not maintained between the sink strainer's outturned flange and the drain hole's flanged shoulder. Such consequent resulting leakage from such improper assembly mandates disassembly and removal of the sink strainer, cleaning away the old putty from such outturned flange and flanged shoulder, applying a new putty bead to the flanged shoulder and attempting proper reassembly of the sink strainer's outturned flange with the drain hole's flanged shoulder. Often, many time-consuming attempts must be made until proper assembly is effected.